Sony PSP 3000 Mega-Review

So, I bought a Sony PSP 3000 (and a crap-load of accessories and games) early this May and I’m now reviewing them. I didn’t get the PSP Go because I didn’t like the download-only idea, awkward controls and slide-screen. I figure, if Sony stops making UMDs, I can still download games, and if the Playstation-Store flops, it won’t affect me. So, here I go:

Overview: Words cannot describe how happy I am with this purchase. For $167.99, I got the best portable gaming system I have ever used. The screen is beautiful; with deep colours, crisp lines and an anti-glare coating. You will hear people complain about scan-lines, but they are not an issue at all. You wouldn’t have even noticed them if no one had told you about them. The games library is great, with a good mix of hard-core and casual games. Skype works perfectly. I am notkidding. I used it to make calls from Washington D.C. to Montreal, and both ends could hear each-other perfectly. The music/video players are great. If you organize your music like me (Artist/Album/Track), you’ll have no problem, but beware, it you organize it “Genre/Artist/Album/Track,” the PSP will only read until Album. Same with movies. The web browser is pretty cool (it has a mouse!) and the Internet radio is pretty clear. THe battery life drove me crazy at first, as it only held a charge for 1-2 hours. In the end I bought an extended-life battery kit, and that solved that.What I really like though, is it focuses on games. For example, the iPhone is a crappy phone, but has lots of great apps. Overall, this is an amazing device for games, movies and music (as well as other things), and is well worth $167.99.

Annoyances: The rubber pad on the bottom right pops in if you don’t have an extended-life battery.

Overview: Overall, this is a great case. You can just throw your PSP in your bag and stop worrying. On the box, it says it’s a play-in case, but I wouldn’t play in it. It just feels too bulky and the screen-protector cancels out the anti-glare coating. As I mentioned, the rubber pad on the bottom right pops in to the case if you don’t have and extended life battery. Needless to say, I’m happier that is has space for an extended-life battery than I am sad that is pops in without one. It works well for watching movies, but, as I mentioned, you should flip the screen protector up. I got it for $5.00 because of a pricing mistake, but it runs for $20.00 in stores.

Annoyances: In solidarity of those who have red or white PSPs, I must mention that the new battery cover only comes in black and silver.

Overview: This was a great buy. It runs in stores for $40.00 but I got it for $20.00 at The Source (by Circuit City). It really improves the battery life, and provides you an extra for when that runs out. You either love or hate the bulge it makes on the right-hand side of the PSP. It provides a more comfortable grip on the PSP when you use the joystick on the left-hand side. Some people just hate the asymmetry.

Games:

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters: If you like Ratchet and Clank games, you’ll like this one too. It’s similar to all the others. Good game-play, long, but not too long story-line, online play and intuitive controls make it a game worth buying. ($12.00)

Secret Agent Clank: Another favourite from the Ratchet and Clank series, although this one more closely resembles the Sly Cooper series. This game requires more stealth than the other Ratchet and Clank games. Fun game-play, moderately long story-line and intuitive controls. I paid $16.00 (at the grocery store) for it, but it goes for $40.00 in most stores.

LitteBigPlanet: I have to say, I had my doubts at first, but I can now say this is one of the best games I have ever played. A cute story-line coupled with challenging, but not mind-boggling levels make for a fun game, bearing a slight resemblance to Super Mario Bros. The level editor is powerful and easy-to-use. With enough effort and imagination, you can create very fun levels.I paid $16.00 (at the grocery store) for it, but it goes for $40.00 in most stores.

MISC.:

PSP Battery Charger: I bought this because I noticed the price was wrong, so I got it for $10.00 instead of $30.00. No complaints so far. Convenient if you have tho batteries.

8 GB Sony M2 Card: I got it for $50.oo. More than enough space for my music, videos and save files. Sometimes the adapter gets stuck in the PSP, but if you just wiggle it a little, it pops right out.

Overall, I’m happy with my purchases (as most of them were discounted). I plan to get the PSP-Composite adapter eventually ,as well as download Echochrome (a cute puzzle game) and Lego Harry Potter (why not?). I’ll review Echochrome ane Lego Harry Potter separately, but I’ll add the adapter to this post, as I don’t think it merits a post of its own.

I would recommend the PSP 3000 (but not the Go) to anyone who loves the gaming world and the extended-life battery to anyone who has a PSP.

Now that I think about it, I got it for $14.00, not $10.00. The price said $24.00, but it rang in at $35.00, so I got a discount. The regular price is in fact $35.00. Best Buy screwed up all the prices in the PSP aisle.